


Lovebirds chattering, can you drown out the sound?

by ForgingOurDestiny



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: ...hopefully, Albus has a little black cat, Albus is poor dumb gay boy, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Like really slow, M/M, No beta we die like idiots apparently, Pining, Post-Canon Fix-It, She's really cute, Slow Burn, Unrequited Love, i wrote this instead of doing homework, whoops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27865109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForgingOurDestiny/pseuds/ForgingOurDestiny
Summary: The only thing helping Albus get through Sixth Year is Scorpius. But Scorpius hasn't been around much since he started dating Rose at the beginning of Fifth Year.~*~Obligatory Scorbus slow-burn pining fic... I'm so sorry, but this is going to be painful.
Relationships: But there are more - Relationship, Like platonic and familial ones, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy/Rose Weasley, Those are the main two
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Haha, guess who was a dumb fuck who got a crush on one of her best friends? That's right, me... Anyway, I know she's straight so my little bi heart is holding out no hope and my muse told me this would be a good way to vent, so I'm projecting my feelings onto another pair of best friends that will end up together. Umm, spoilers by the way.
> 
> Enough of my whining, I hope you enjoy!

It was at times like this that Albus wished that he were a muggle. It wasn’t something he wished often, but he was desperate.

He’d known going in to Sixth Year that it wasn’t going to be easy, but he’d hoped that maybe they’d get some slack before being straight into their NEWT preparations. Alas, his hopes and prayers had been vain. It had been go, go, go since the start of term and even though they were nearing Christmas, it seemed like none of the professors were letting up.

He’d heard from his father’s cousin Dudley that, after taking their exams at the end of Fifth Year, that muggles chose only three subjects to specialise in and focus on. Honestly, at the minute, that sounded like heaven. Three subjects compared to his (Potions, DADA, Care for Magical Creatures, Transfiguration, Astronomy, Charms) six seemed like bliss. To be fair, Scorpius was taking nine (Potions, DADA, Care for Magical Creatures, Transfiguration, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, History of Magic, Charms) which Albus frankly found staggering; his Aunt Hermione had only taken seven.

The only thing making any of this even remotely bearable was Scorpius, but Albus saw him so little lately that it felt like he was hardly there. Scorpius and Rose had started dating at the beginning of Fifth Year and had been nearly inseparable since. It was fantastic seeing Scorpius so happy, and it was nice to be friends, even tense ones, with Rose again. Honestly though, it was just making Albus feel like shit, keeping something from his best friend and his cousin. You see, Albus had realised he liked Scorpius _like that_ about a month after the start of term… right when Rose and Scorpius started dating.

~*~

They’d been back at Hogwarts for four weeks at most when it became official. Scorpius and his father had been the Potter’s near constant companions over the summer. It had started out quite awkwardly, having Albus’ father and Scorpius’ father in the same room without there being an argument over something painfully mundane, but after bonding over shared trauma and Teddy cracking a couple of jokes, they’d started to unwind and actually talk civilly with each other, even puffing out little laughs from time to time. (Albus thought he was hallucinating when he walked in on Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy laughing over some stupid joke; he’d had to take a step back and wonder if he and Scorpius had unintentionally changed something else with the Time Turner.)

It had all been Albus’ mum’s idea. She’d been cordial with Mr Malfoy since he and Scorpius became friends, and she’d felt bad for him being on his own all the time and had apparently inherited her mothers’ habit of adopting random people with tragic backstories (it was a problem, but no one wanted to be the one to face Ginny’s wrath when it was brought up).

With the Malfoys being over so often, it was kind of inevitable that Scorpius and Rose had to spend time together. Albus was always with them, but over the summer it had gone from Rose third-wheeling him and Scorpius to him third-wheeling Scorpius and Rose. He wasn’t sure when it had turned into ‘Rose and Scorpius Time’, but he remembered when it had clicked; they were at the Burrow, all the cousins were round, aside form Teddy and Victoire who were on their honeymoon. Albus, Rose and Scorpius had been lying down in the garden, cloud watching. He’d gone to roll over and talk to Scorpius about a cloud he’d seen that looked remarkably like a Norwegian Ridgeback when he noticed Scorpius was already turned on his side, his and Rose’s heads incredibly close together. He was about to ask what they were talking about when he heard Rose giggling nervously and decided it simply wasn’t worth it; all that would happen was that he would interrupt, and it’d be awkward. One of them would either offer a throwaway comment and turn back to the other, or they’d ignore him completely. He didn’t want to find out which hurt more.

He lay back down, attempting to focus back on the clouds swirling and flowing high above his head, but all he could hear was the giggles and whispers of the two next to him. He found he couldn’t get back to his blissful state of obliviousness, every sound they made distracting him, grating on his nerves. It was too much, too loud in his ears. He could scarcely hear anything over how loud they were being whilst trying to be quiet. He felt like the sound was burrowing under his skin and he couldn’t stay, it was too overwhelming. As he went to stand, his movements were jerky, the irritation he was harbouring for no apparent reason making itself known. He wasn’t trying to be loud, but he wasn’t trying to be quiet either, although it seemed like the two tittering idiots on the grass only had eyes (and ears) for each other.

After that, all Albus could notice was how often Scorpius and Rose seemed to go off by themselves; admittedly, it meant that Albus got to spend more time with Fred and Roxanne than he had in a while, and seeing Uncle Ron looking like he was about to explode whenever he thought the two of them were getting too close was quite funny. Despite Scorpius being around nearly every day of the summer, Albus felt like they were further from each other than they ever had been; he hated to admit it (even to himself) but he kind of wished that he and Scorpius had had to communicate via letters, because at least then he’d have had Scorpius all to himself.

The rest of the summer passed in a Scorpius-less blur. Albus and his best friend barely talked to each other, and whenever the Malfoy heir deigned to grace the lowly Albus Potter with his presence, all he did was talk about Rose. It was all too much; Albus began to avoid Scorpius, knowing what his only topic of conversation would be and what was worse was that Scorpius didn’t even seem to notice. He’d been side lined, relegated, dropped as soon as the new shiny toy came along (Not that he thought Rose was a toy… that would be sexist, and his mum would probably smack him for it. Just because Rose had stolen his best friend didn’t mean he was going to belittle her, even in the comforts of his own mind.) He felt abandoned, and it hurt knowing Scorpius didn’t even seem to care.

He’d hoped that some semblance of normal might return when they got back to Hogwarts, but it only got worse. Normally Albus longed to return to Hogwarts, to escape his batshit-crazy family, and return to his dorm where his best friend was a mere 5 metres away. Alas, it was not to be. Throughout the whole of the welcome feast, Scorpius and Rose were making goo-goo eyes at each other, blushing whenever they caught each other’s gaze. All Albus could do was sit there and role his eyes; he wasn’t used to not having Scorpius to talk to, so he found himself making idle conversation with his dormmates, boys who he’d only really exchanged pleasantries and idle small talk with before.

Just like the summer, the only things Scorpius wanted to do were gush over Rose, make goo-goo eyes at Rose, or be with Rose. At least at the Burrow Albus could escape, but at Hogwarts Albus was trapped. He’d taken to seeking out James in some of his free periods, which really showed his desperation, especially as James typically only gloated about the girl he was currently fucking or moping the girl he had used to be fucking. Not exactly the most stimulating of conversations, but at least there was some variety.

As September began to pass Albus by, he found himself focusing more and more on his studies as his partner in… not crime, they weren’t that chaotic (although they had technically committed some crimes last year); as his best friend had become his cousin’s adoring lap dog. Turns out that if he actually pulled his head out of his arse and concentrated, Albus could do quite well in subjects that didn’t require the use of practical magic, and he quite enjoyed some of the theory too. It was his little victory, but it was dampened by two facts: 1. Albus didn’t really have anyone to share it with, and 2. Scorpius was paying practically no attention to his studies and was still doing better than him. Ah well, guess you couldn’t have it all.

The first Hogsmeade weekend had finally rolled around and, for some deluded reason, Albus was still expecting to go with Scorpius, just the two of them like usual. Albus waited in the common room for nearly an hour before he decided to set out ahead of Scorpius; he’d just wait for him in The Three Broomsticks.

He set out, going over potion recipes he needed to memorise for his end of topic assessment. He was getting rather good at potions, and he was even beginning to enjoy it. He’d never given much thought to what he was going to do once he left Hogwarts. It had always seemed so far away, but he had less than two years before University applications had to be in, and not having a plan didn’t seem to be very helpful. He’d always figured that him and Scorpius would figure it out together, that he wouldn’t have to worry so much about the future because Scorpius would always be at his side. Maybe that future could have happened once, but with the way they were now, it seemed nearly impossible. It was fine. Albus had been used to being on his own before Scorpius came along, its not like it would be hard to go back to it.

His maudlin thoughts didn’t leave him alone until he arrived in the hustle and bustle of Hogsmeade. He nodded to people he shared classes with, exchanging a few words with the cousins he happened to stumble across. He’d been aimlessly wandering around Hogsmeade, window shopping, before his wayward legs brought him to The Three Broomsticks. He went inside, intent on finding a cosy little corner to wait for Scorpius in when a hearty laugh caught him by surprise. His head whipped round and landed on the back of a platinum blond head, tipped back in mirth. It had been so long since he’d heard that laugh, it took a couple of seconds to register that Scorpius was already with someone. The long, ginger hair of his companion looked like the flames in the hearth, light flashing off of the waves that fell down their back. Of course, Scorpius was there with Rose. To be honest, Albus wasn’t completely sure why he was surprised. He felt like he should feel some anger, some indignation at being so casually at being brushed off, but Albus felt nothing. It was like his heart had been replaced by a void, sucking all of the emotion out of him, leaving him empty, a shell.

As soon as he saw them, he knew he was going to leave, but apparently Albus was a glutton for punishment. The longer he stood there, the more the emptiness seemed to consume him. It ate away at him, chipping bits off of his thoughts, stealing his warmth, wrapping up his feelings and pushing them into the back corner of his mind. It felt a bit like the few times he’d practiced Occlumency with his father, but he could tell he wasn’t doing it consciously. His mind was taking over, working to protect himself. He felt like he should be far more concerned than he actually was by this, but he welcomed the reprieve from the hurt he’d been carrying around for months. He relished the numbness, even if it wouldn’t last forever.

He turned, intent on leaving. Maybe he’d go back to the castle, revise for something or another, or maybe he’d find some classmates and tag along with them for the day. It wasn’t like he had nothing and no one else… it just felt like it. He was halfway to the door when a movement he saw out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Blond moved towards ginger, ginger moved towards blond, and soon, they collided. Albus couldn’t see what they were doing, he didn’t need to; the distinct lack of conversation was enough. He was stuck, frozen, idly wondering if someone had petrified him without him noticing. A sigh broke him out of his stupor (He didn’t know who it came from. He didn’t want to know (He did, he really did.)), and he marched out the door. He was leaving, but it was too late; the emotions that had been swaddled and pushed to the side didn’t escape their wrappings, they burned through them. He’d thought the pain was bad, but the pain had been sharp, grounding. This, what he was feeling now, was worse… so much worse. It burned. It ached. Once in a while, pain flared from the burnt husk where his heart used to be, reminding him he was real.

He passed by the window on his way down the road, and a heart-warming scene caught his eye. He saw Scorpius and Rose looking at each other, their clasped hands between them. They were both blushing, but Rose’s freckles hid it while the pretty pink glow seemed to light up Scorpius’ face. Scorpius’ head was bowed, and Albus could see his mouth moving. His gaze flicked to Rose, and while Scorpius couldn’t see her, Albus could see her eyes start to sparkle more and more with every word Scorpius said. Scorpius stopped talking and looked up, making eye contact with Rose, questioning her silently. A moment; even outside, Albus could feel the tension. Music should have swelled as Rose left Scorpius in suspense. And then, the climax; the tension broke with Rose’s short, sharp nod of her head. Scorpius broke out into a grin, and he looked beautiful, the most gorgeous Albus had ever seen him. He had tears in his eyes, giving them that extra sparkle, and his wide, toothy grin exposed the dimples at the corner of his mouth Albus was so fond of. Scorpius moved in, Rose mimicking his movements and Albus realised he hadn’t fully accepted it before. He hadn’t seen anything, he had an out, plausible deniability. Not anymore. He saw their lips meet, Rose’s hand come up to cup Scorpius’ cheek, Scorpius’ hand dipping to Rose’s waist. Albus felt like he’d been punched in the chest. He was winded, he couldn’t breathe, even though his mouth was wide open. He could feel his eyes start to prick, and he turned and left, a sob threatening to leave his throat as he did.

He knew what Scorpius and Rose would see if they turned and looked out the window. They’d see Albus, shoulders slumped, feet barely lifting off the ground, hands clenched by his sides. They would know he’d been there. But they wouldn’t care. They hadn’t so far, why should they start now? He knew what they’d see if they deigned to turn around. But they didn’t: Albus checked. He looked back over his shoulder and saw them completely wrapped up in each other. The pain was back, but this time it went with the ache, burning him alive from the inside out. Something new had joined them, and it curled around Albus’ heart. It had black skin, an injured, wanting heart like him, and bright green eyes. He named this beast Jealousy. He didn’t know it yet, but she would be his constant companion in the coming years.

Albus had been right before. He missed the numbness.

~*~

It had been just under fifteen months since ‘The Incident’, as Albus had dubbed it.

That day he’d managed to get back to Hogwarts, Jealousy purring and rubbing against his heart. He’d staggered back to his dorm and collapsed onto his bed. Only then did he let the tears flow, let the sobs wrench themselves from his chest. It took him nearly two hours to calm himself completely; every time he nearly managed it something of Scorpius’ would catch his eye and set him off again.

He’d managed to drag himself away from his bed and into the adjoining bathroom. He’d splashed his face with water, trying to diminish the redness in his eyes. He’d known that he wouldn’t be able to escape Scorpius that night and, even though he felt like he’d been ripped open, he wanted to be there for his best friend. He stayed there for a while, he wasn’t sure how long, practicing his smiles in the mirror. It made him feel a bit better, but only a little.

When Scorpius had gotten back, he was still flushed and looked like he was riding high on life. He started babbling to anyone and everyone who would listen, and a couple of people who wouldn’t. It made it a bit easier for Albus as he didn’t have to be the sole focus of Scorpius’ enthusiasm. He felt a little guilty about it, but Jealousy squeezed, and even though it stung a little he knew she was doing her best to help.

It carried on in the same way for weeks. Whenever Albus saw Scorpius, all he could do was sit back and listen to Scorpius’ love-stricken drivel. Eventually, it began to plateau; the honeymoon phase waned, and it just became a part of their lives. Jealousy replaced Scorpius as Albus’ best friend; it made him sad, but he felt distancing himself, even slightly, was necessary. Their conversations didn’t always include Rose, but Albus knew something had changed. Jealousy was his constant companion, always curled around his heart, squeezing him, comforting him. The only thing he didn’t like about her was that she didn’t let him hide from his feelings. She’d squeeze him, always bringing his attention back to the situation at hand which happened to never be particularly pleasant. Even through all of this, he knew she cared; she was just trying to look out for him in her own way. It was nice having someone that cared for him, that was in his corner no matter what. It felt like it had been years since someone had been there for only him.

He gone home for Christmas that year, and on Boxing Day his mother stood up and left in the middle of their leftovers feast and when she came home, she had a kitten in toe. The kitten’s fur was black, starkly contrasting the white of his mother’s blouse. He made eye contact with it and found glowing green eyes staring back. It was small, curling into the warmth of Ginny’s blouse, but it’s eyes stayed locked on Albus, and Albus’ eyes on it.

His mother walked over to him and held the kitten out to him expectantly.

“I saw her on Diagon Alley when I went looking for your Uncle George earlier today and she was just sticking her little pink nose out of the opening of an alley. I was going to leave her there, but she looked so small and lonely that I couldn’t just walk away. I took her to an animal healer and left her there, but you’ve been looking so awful lately, love, and I thought that maybe you could use with some companionship, just like she could. The healer said she was surprisingly healthy for such a young stray, and surprisingly friendly too. I think she might have been booted out of her last home. Take her, Al. Both James and Lily have pets and I know you’ve never said you wanted one, but I think she could do you some good. Get you out of this rut your in.” After his mother had finished her big speech, she practically shoved the kitten into Albus’ arms and went and sat on the other side of the room, as if she were expecting him to just hand her back.

He cupped the kitten to his chest and felt her try and bury into his chest, trying to absorb his warmth. She started purring, like she was trying to comfort to him, and Albus was hit with a bizarre sense of déjà vu. This little kitten was pitch black, with startling green eyes, and was curled up next to his heart, comforting him with her purrs. He could feel Jealousy in his chest, settling down, relaxing her hold on his heart, letting him be comforted by something else. She was still there, wrapped around his heart, but she took a break, letting this little bundle of fur curl up against Albus’ heart and look after him instead.

The kitten gave a sleepy little yawn and Albus knew immediately what he was going to call her. He couldn’t say it out loud, he knew it would sound weird, but he’d decided to call her Jealousy… ‘Jelly’ for short.


	2. Pls Ignore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HEHE

THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER, IT IS ONLY HERE SO I CAN INDICATE THAT THIS FIC IS NOT A ONE SHOT AND WILL HAVE MORE THAN ONE CHAPTER. I AM SO SORRY IF THIS SUPPOSED "Chapter 2" GOT YOUR HOPES UP. WHEN CHAPTER 2 IS WRITTEN THIS WILL DISAPPEAR AND WE WILL BE BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING. ONCE AGAIN, I AM SORRY FOR BEING MISLEADING AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A NICE DAY.

-Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, fair warning, this is going to have really sporadic updates. I really enjoyed writing this first chapter and hopefully I'll write more soon, but it'll probably end up being over Christmas. Thank you for reading! TTFN, ta ta for now!


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